Ukraine and Russia conduct prisoner of war exchange involving 103 people each

Ukraine and Russia have carried out another prisoner of war exchange, with 103 individuals from each side returning home. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the swap on Wednesday, highlighting it as one of the few remaining avenues for cooperation between the two belligerent nations.

Moscow stated that the 103 Russian soldiers were repatriated and are currently in Belarus for medical and psychological support before being transferred to Russia. The ministry also noted that the United Arab Emirates played a mediating role in this exchange, as they have in previous ones.

While Ukraine had not yet commented, prisoner exchanges have become a rare but tangible outcome of negotiations between the two countries. Kyiv reports that over 15,000 Ukrainian civilians are held in Russian prisons, and in February, President Zelenskyy indicated that approximately 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers were in captivity. Several such exchanges, involving hundreds of people each time, have occurred since the winter.